Parrots and Barbets and Cuckoos - Oh My!

These are some of the most colorful birds in Costa Rica in additional to the ones in "My version of Tropical Birds". Was lucky to have a wonderful feeder at the Cerro Lodge on the coast with lots of close contact with the huge Scarlet Macaw and happy to have seen a number of Parrots there as well. Saw a good number of these species.

Parrots - technically there are not all Parrots but Macaws are pretty parrot-like and Amazon's used to be called Parrots.

Scarlet Macaw - The one below was the first photo I was able to take (we had a flyover earlier) but the really spectacular stuff was at the Cerro Lodge feeders where they were very close & apparently fearless of people.

Great Green Macaw - this species was only in the Caribbean Lowlands -- this group was in La Selva, the best look of them and the only one where they were perched.

Yellow-naped Amazon - Pat spotted this feeding Yellow-naped amongst the mangos -- not easy to see.

White-crowned Parrot - Finally saw this bird on the boat ride on the last day - not the greatest photo as it was far up high and the boat kept turning in a way that made it hard to focus.

White-fronted Amazon - saw this species a number of times, but finally got the shot on the last day as they flew by my porch.

Parakeets - slightly smaller than their cousins the Parrots, but also have a pointed tail where Parrot's tails are more square.

Crimson-fronted Parakeet - I saw this species in every habitat we visited, but this rainy day photo from a tree with @25 birds was my best shot.

Olive-throated Parakeet - I don't know if Parakeets roost more on rainy days, but most of my photos of them are in the rain -- this one was outside of Cope's parent's house.

Orange-fronted Parakeet - a nice view of this species on the road to the Cerro Lodge. The first Parakeet I saw in Costa Rica!

Orange-chinned Parakeet - lots of this species flying around, not so many perched. These were drying out their feathers after a rain on the Road to Cerro Lodge.

Jacamar, Barbet ++ - These species are not all that similar, but I'll just call them Miscellaneous colorful birds!

Rufous-tailed Jacamar - this species looks like a Hummingbird to me, but it doesn't drink nectar (it eats bugs) and it is 3 times the size of your basic Hummie. Still quite we had a good look after we got off the boat in Tarcoles.

White-whiskered Puffbird - had three nice visits with this species and I am told that is fairly unusual. Typically you need to spend a lot of time staring into the woods, we did not. Just happened upon them.

Prong-billed Barbet - we saw both Barbets at the feeders during out final lunch. It took them a while to come out, but they finally did.

Red-headed Barbet - This is a spectacular bird - I'll let it "speak" for itself!

Becard & Tityra ++ - Not quite as colorful as most of the birds in this category, but I think they belong!

Rose-throated Becard - I know, I know, no Rose throat. It's a female & very backlit.

Black-crowned Tityra - Although it's only black and white it is a very striking bird.

Cuckoo & Tinamou - Tinamous are notorious stealthy ground birds that we only heard. Cuckoos are much more "sociable"

Common Squirrel Cuckoo - This was the Cuckoo we saw the most often, always hanging in a tree, displaying it's beautiful striped tail.

Striped Cuckoo - Spotted hanging out in a field on the back side of Cerro Lodge road

No Portrait

Lesser Ground-Cuckoo - we heard this species a lot, but Pat was determined to get me a photo and he did! This bird is very stealthy vs its more sociable cousins.

Pigeon - Yup, Pigeons -- they can beautiful too...

Pale-vented Pigeon - when not mid-molt this is a lovely creature.

Red-billed Pigeon - Probably the species we saw the most.

Dove - I came to really adore these little creatures

Ruddy Ground Dove - took us a few days to find one of this species, but once we did they were all over the place!

No Portrait

Common Ground-dove - not a new species (saw it in Florida), but its a cutie!

White-winged Dove - Saw them constantly in Arizona but they were here too!